


take notes, sweetheart

by ConvenientAlias



Series: Tumblr Ficlets [1]
Category: Le Fantôme de l'Opéra | Phantom of the Opera & Related Fandoms
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-01
Updated: 2018-07-01
Packaged: 2019-05-31 13:10:26
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 466
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15120092
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ConvenientAlias/pseuds/ConvenientAlias
Summary: Carlotta and Christine at practice.





	take notes, sweetheart

Carlotta was in good form today. She stood with her back straight and her mouth wide open, song pouring out from her lips as if her vocal chords vibrated automatically with no effort on her part, as if she were merely a vessel for the music rather than the artist herself. Christine, watching with the rest of the ensemble, felt her own mouth go rather dry. She couldn’t even chalk it up to sympathy for a throat that might be sore in an hour or so—Carlotta had thoroughly warmed up and when she sang like this, you couldn’t imagine she would ever have such difficulties.

When Carlotta finished the aria, the director nodded with sharp appreciation. The managers, who had come by to observe the rehearsal today at their leisure, even broke out into applause. Carlotta glanced over at them with a slight flush in her cheeks, smiled and curtseyed ever so slightly. The curtsey seemed out of place with her costume (it was another Roman period piece) but she still made it work. Certainly it didn’t make her look humble. Not her.

Meg murmured to Christine, “Miss Show-off’s in a good mood. At least she won’t be yelling at us later for throwing her off.” Carlotta often had critiques for the ensemble, and more towards Christine and her friends ever since Christine had taken her part in  _Hannibal_. She seemed to regard it as a personal slight, even though at the time she had already rejected the role for the night. Well, Christine couldn’t do anything about a diva’s moodiness. She would just have to put up with it. And although she hated to admit it, part of her even liked the attention, critical as it might be.

She whispered to Meg, “She’s amazing.”

Meg snorted.

“Miss Daae!”

Christine looked up quickly, to see Carlotta staring right at her. Her eyes were narrowed but she was grinning, a viciously smug sort of grin, pride glinting out the corners of her eyes. “Were you paying close attention?”

Christine said, “I…Yes, yes I was. It was very good.” Her face was hot. She hoped that somehow, despite all probability, she still looked dignified.

“That’s how it’s done by the real divas. Take notes, sweetheart.” Carlotta even winked. “They say you could be quite the prima donna someday. Of course our opera house always needs performers with dreams. Did you pay attention to my technique, darling?”

Wordless, Christine nodded.

“Good. Maybe in another fifty years you’ll be able to do it too.” Carlotta turned back to the director. “I’d like to run my solo from the second half now, if you please.”

Meg patted Christine on the arm consolingly. But Christine could do nothing but gape as Carlotta again opened her mouth and began to sing.

**Author's Note:**

> I'm crossposting my tumblr ficlets. This one's from January, so...quite a while ago. Hope you enjoyed.


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